I do apologize for being late with this. Life happens.
Which did you celebrate?
By Janet Stobie
As I planned worship every year, I struggled to decide between celebrating “Mother’s Day” or “Christian Family Sunday”. In today’s world, families seem to be at risk. Often a child has two families, one with Mom and one with Dad. Even when a child lives with two parents, often only Mom appears to be determined to teach her child the Christian faith. Besides, not everyone is a mother so Mother’s Day leaves out and even causes pain for some women. So celebrating the Christian family in all its forms is important and valuable. Still, most often, I chose to celebrate Mother’s Day.
Why? Although all of us may not be mothers, all of us have a mother. Whether we love and respect our mother, were disappointed or hurt by our mother, or don’t even know who is she is, still, we do have a mother. Sometimes our neighbor or a family friend has taken the place of our mother.
From conception, mother offers the egg – the fruit of her being, her body – the child’s first home, her life-blood – food for being and growing. Whether willing or not, being a mother requires offering your whole being to this child. A mother’s love, when given freely and healthily, is precious and life giving.
Of course, it’s not all beautiful. The pain and joy of birth is only the beginning. Becoming mother (in any form) means committing our entire lifetime to loving, teaching, challenging this new human being. Not every mother accepts that commitment, but those who do need our support and appreciation, not on just one day, but every day of the year. Therefore, I believe the church needs to set aside one Sunday every year, to celebrate God’s love and presence in mothers. As Christians we are called to love and support not just our own mother, but all mothers as they strive to be the people and the mothers that God intends them to be. We can choose another Sunday for the much needed celebration of Christian Family.
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.”2 Timothy 1:5